Newspaper Page Text
| Wacky Facts L VXAVAV U\l / Chatter Box
/■ Up until lhe 1860 s. the United Sutes madeX \N 1\ \ \ \\ \|S| ■’ I WL,/when 1 was little and I wanted to eat
( coins worth half a cent, two cents and three cents. \ \ \\ \\ \l ■ | lUgfl tfimMF//■MBy [ that was bad for me, my mother would always say, \
k One of the three-cent coins was called a “nickel" J \V\\\ \\ \ \ II I bSB/ (‘Don’t eat that. It’ll shoot your eye out J
\because it was made of the metal nickel. Five-cent/ \ \k\\\\ \\’\ 1 L ftS / \. - Actor Brendan Fraser,
pieces were made of silver until 1866.\\X\\\\ )| |\ I in InStyle magazine.
— World Almanac for Kids A-:.' I I
Copyright 2004 Chicago Tribune | | \ I Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tnbune WK
Baby Sittin^ baß . cs
■Kk-i *
Mk
afc lH - .r jjfrl
1 V,--) IB FBK/
t;AI. EL . I
< f i M
,/ “ i ■■'&•'■ • »&’''*?■ 5 i l_ ""W *■
, " d i W&l 3 I - ?
v •• I W ■ - I ? -
? r W
* M I * ;•. !’■ n * *
| |b ""- ■mb
■■ *r ttKait.? Wfc
<?., bßb tomium
SS? 3 "’
Learn child-care skills from the pros
A By Mel Nomt
Chicago Tribune
llowance not going as far as it used to?
Instead of hitting up Mom and Dad for
those extra bucks, why not consider going into the
“business" of baby-sitting?
Baby-sitting is a huge responsibility. But it pro
vides valuable business experience and allows you to
learn how to deal with people and situations.
If you don’t have any brothers or sisters and have
never watched children, though, you may not know
what to do. Fortunately, professional-level baby-sit
ting courses are held in hospitals, park districts and
community centers across the country. The American
Red Cross teaches many of these courses.
Jen B„ 16, took a baby-sitting course when she
was 12, because her mother wouldn’t let her baby-sit
until she learned the necessary skills. “I learned CPR.
I have never used it, but it makes me feel more confi
dent when I am around children,” Jen says.
“We teach lifesaving skills,” says Gloria Trevino,
Community Safety Training Specialist for the Red
Cross. “For example, if one of the children starts
choking, our students leam how to do an abdominal
thrust to clear the airway."
Courtney M., 11, who took the Red Cross baby-sit
ting course, appreciated another skill she learned: “I
was having a bad nosebleed, and I pinched my nose and
put my head down. My dad said, ‘No, put your head
back.’ But I knew I was right because I learned about
what to do for a nosebleed in my baby-sitting class.”
“We teach our students not only to watch out for
the safety of others, but for themselves,” Trevino says.
( \ f \ r
\ / )o
\ C7~C)
ILLUSTRATIONS BY f
RAUL TRARR/KRT
Serving the North Georgia Johns Creek is proud to sponsor the
(Air Poultry Industry and helping the N f Wß P a P e » in Bdocatkm program as part
MgsagagCK*
Students also get a baby-sitting manual to keep and
a video covering situations they may run into, she says.
“Kids leam how to interview the parents for whom
they will be working," Trevino says. “They leam the
regulations of the families and how to deal with
things like phone calls to the home. Parents all have
different ways of handling these things.”
Until they became old enough to get jobs as kennel
attendants, Nick and Jon T., 16-year-old twins, frequent
ly baby-sat. “My mother is a nurse, and she taught us a
lot about how to care for kids. And our older sister used
to baby-sit and tell us about it,” Jon says. “One night a
little girl got a bad stomachache, and before I was able
to contact her parents, I knew how to comfort her."
In addition to knowing what to do in an emergency.
Courtney is concerned about keeping her “clients” busy.
“1 bring a backpack full of games, books and puzzles to
give them something new to play with," she says.
Because of her age. Courtney baby-sits only dur
ing the day. and lets the parents decide what they
want to pay her, usually $5 per hour.
The other sitters we talked to say they earn any
where from $3 to $lO per hour, more during holiday
periods like New Year’s Eve. *
“I baby-sit every week and have a guaranteed
income of around S3O that I use as my spending
money," Jen says. “If the kids like you and ask for
you. the parents will pay you more.”
Baby-sitting courses can cost as much as SBO, and
all provide a certificate of professional baby-sitting
on completion.
The certificate, Trevino says, may bring the sitter
an extra couple of dollars an hour. However, she
stresses that rates vary depending on where you live.
Health Newi
Kids are worried about obesitv, survey says
There’s a lot of talk these days
about kids and their eating habits.
Some schools have been trying to
cut back on the amount of junk
food and soda that is sold to kids
\ every day, and you hear lots in
' the news about the importance
3 of eating a healthy, balanced diet
and getting plenty to exercise.
This is becoming a very impor
tant issue for American kids.
According to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention,
the percentage of overweight
children in the United States
tripled since 1980. In fact,
\\ 30 percent of chil-
dren arc now classified as being
either overweight or at risk for
becoming overweight.
A recent Kids Health survey
shows that kids are paying atten
tion and they’re worried about
obesity, too.
According to the survey of more
than 1,100 9- to 13-year-olds, 52
percent of kids surveyed believe
there is a problem with kids being
overweight today, and 59 percent
said they’ve tried to lose weight.
Here arc more of the survey's
findings:
■ 54 percent of kids say they
stress or worry about their weight.
WHAT THE
PROS KNOW
In order to be a
successful baby sitter,
you’ll need to have a
professional attitude.
Here’s what is expect
ed of a pro.
■ No visitors allowed
unless special arrange
ments have been
made with the parents.
■ Leave the house in
good order. Help chil
dren pick up their
toys and games.
■ When they return,
give the parents a
brief report of the
children’s behavior
and anything out of
the ordinary that
might have happened.
■ Know what to do
in an emergency, and
how to deal with a
sick or injured child.
SITES TO BOOST
YOUR SKILLS
Whether you’re
learning new skills or
brushing up on baby
sitting basics, the
Internet is a valuable
resource. Check out
these Web sites.
■ The guide at
www.kldshealth.org
Aeen/schooljobs/
jobs/ba byslt.html
has a wealth of advice.
■ To leam more
about the Red Cross’
Babysitter Training
course, go to www.
redcross.org/ser
vlces/hss/courses/
babylndex.html.
The site also offers
safety tips, a guide to
interviewing for
baby-sitting jobs, and
true stories of lifesav
ing baby sitters.
■ For links to several
sites that offer loads
of baby-sitting
info, visit www.
kldskonnect.com.
— —--j }
■ 67 percent of girls surveyed
admit to some level of worry
about their weight, compared to
41 percent of boys.
■ 55 percent of the respondents
classified themselves as being
"about the right weight."
■ 43 percent of a
those respondents 'Bj|
who classify them- ®
selves as "slightly" or
“very under- Q 1
weight" have J
tried to lose (
weight. / 1
£
FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS - Thursday, April», 2004 -
| In The News |
Open Liberty!
For more than 100 years, visitors to New York
Harbor were welcome to explore the Statue of
Liberty, a symbol of freedom. Crowds stood in
long lines to get inside the 151-foot statue and
climb the 354 steps to the crown.
All of that changed on Sept. 11, 2001. After the
terrorist attacks, the statue and its surrounding
grounds on Liberty Island were closed to visitors.
Officials worried that the site —g—y a a g—i
wasn’t safe. The island I l/KAI— 1
reopened three months later, FORr X r&Gr
but the statue remained closed. Recently, officials
announced that security improvements will allow
visitors to enter the monument once again, starting
in late July. But tourists still won’t be allowed past
the observation deck on the statue’s pedestal.
The Statue of Liberty came to the United States
in 1885. It was a gift from the people of France, in
recognition of the friendship between the coun
tries during the American Revolution.
The statue grew to symbolize freedom, democ
racy and a safe haven for immigrants. Before
Sept. 11, nearly 6 million people toured Lady
Liberty each year. But afterward, the number of
visitors to the island fell by about 40 percent.
For now, officials said the body of the statue
will remain closed. The strong symbolism that
attracts admirers also puts the structure at risk
of terrorist attack. Additionally, potential fire
problems and a lack of exits make the narrow,
winding stairs that lead up to the
crown unsafe.
National Park Service officials said
B that by the end of this year, more than
530 million will have been spent creat
ing security and safety improvements.
There will be new exits and fire-control
, systems. Those who want to visit will
have to make reservations and pass
r W k through elaborate, air-
M port-like security
systems.
“ > zf Rep. Anthony
\ Weiner of New York
y/r iWIV * said he celebrated
< the "great news."
/ x . But he hopes
IJ y , X tourists will
jf // 1 A one day
’ V/ ! t expe '
/ / thrill
w . / of
~ 4 climb-
/V ing the
11 statue.
/ I | “Reopening
11 the statue
J a can mean
c 2004 Time inc £ ■ T> only one
aii Right. f thing:
time for kids reopening
Timetortode com jK
IL ’ll - Kathrvn
trademark. I ■
ot Time inc W ' L.l Satterfield
I
/ I
* "TBh
J"
■ 60 percent of kids surveyed
said it was harder for overweight
kids to make friends.
■ 29 percent of the kids sur
veyed said kids not getting enough
exercise is the most important
cause of kids being overweight.
■ 69 percent of kids sur-
K veyed said that “eating
healthy and exercising” is
*• the best way to control
AC body weight.
Visit nahec.org/
Kids Poll/ for more
information on
the survey.
A— Sara Clarkr
PAGE 5A